An Unlikely Visitor
by Fiona Le Fay
Summary: When Merlin helps a strange girl in the marketplace he soon realizes that she's no ordinary foreigner. But will Merlin be able to help conceal the mysterious girl's true identity from everyone at Camelot?
1. Chapter 1

Light from the full moon cast a brilliant glow across the dark sea waters. The waves slowly lapped up against the white sand of the beach. The air became eerily still as a faint figure rose from the sea. The dark silhouette moved toward where the water met the land. A pair of pale feet emerged from the black water. A girl with brilliant light hair took in her surroundings; a small smile crept its way across her face as she began to walk away from the ocean and further up the beach.

"Thanks again for coming with me into the village today, Merlin" Gwen said as they passed another cloth vender. "I hate going into the village alone. It's so much more fun when someone else comes along."  
"Of course, because cloth shopping is the highlight of my day, only second to washing Arthur's soiled tunics." Merlin replied sarcastically.

Gwen smiled. "Cheer up. If you're a good boy I'll spare a few coins and buy you something. Would you like that?"

Merlin forced a weak smile. "God, you sound like my mother."

"Well, it doesn't help that you're acting like a child." Gwen returned.

Merlin chuckled. "Alright, alright I'll be good."

Gwen smiled. "That's more like it."

The pair waded throughout the crowded village surrounding the magnificent castle of Camelot. The aromas of cooking food floated throughout the many stalls that lined the pathways. Venders from all over the continent sold their goods: Exotic oils from Egypt, vases from Italy, statues and marble from Greece; there was so much to take in. Gwen stopped at a vendor from the Middle East who had a large assortment of dark material. As she looked over the material the vendor kept insisting to her that the cloth was pure satin, the finest in all of Baghdad, Merlin's eyes began to wonder. He watched the people walk past him: mothers with hoards of screaming children tugging on their sleeves, chickens and other livestock being transported here and there, homeless men begging for scraps of food or money in the street. Suddenly, a booming voice caught Merlin's attention.

"I've told you for the thousandth time, you can't pay with those!"

Merlin searched the crowed for the origin of the angry voice.

"What do you think of this color, Merlin? Do you think Morgana would like this? Merlin?" Gwen asked. But when she turned around, Merlin had disappeared.

Merlin searched the crowded market place. He couldn't quite locate where the voice was coming from; until he saw her.

A small, pale figure dressed in a green tunic was standing in front of a vendor whose face was turning purple.

Merlin made his way to where the girl stood. "Sorry, but what's all the hubbub about?"

The vendor turned his attention to the tall, gangly boy in font of him. The man was portly with violent green eyes. He was dressed rather well off for a villager, but the accent in his voice proved that he was a foreigner. His hair was gray and thinning and as he fumed, it floated back and forth to the rhythm of his breathing.

"This young lady is refusing to pay me for this cloak!" he bellowed.

Merlin faced the girl. "Is this true?"

The girl faced Merlin. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald color, complementing the pale color of her skin. Her hair was a brilliant light blonde and it went down past her shoulders in waves. Now that Merlin was closer to her, he noticed that the girl was wearing a tunic made out of a queer material; seaweed or some sort of gauze material. It was tied around her neck and went down just above her knees. No wonder she wanted a cloak. She stared at Merlin with a childlike innocence. Was she also a foreigner? Did she not speak the King's language? Merlin tore his eyes away from the mysterious girl and looked at what she had apparently tried to use to pay for the cloak.

"Sea shells?" Merlin asked.

"Sea shells!" the merchant cried. "How am I supposed to feed my family with sea shells?!"

Merlin picked up one of the sea shells and showed it to the girl. "You can't pay with this." He said. "I don't know if this is what your people pay with, but I'm sorry to say, it won't suffice here."

Merlin took the girl's hand to return the shell to; as he did so he felt how unnaturally cold her hand was. And as she spread her fingers to retrieve the shell, he noticed something between her fingers. It almost looked like a thin layer of skin was linking one finger to the next.

The girl wasn't as awe struck as Merlin was. She looked more confused than anything.

_She must really be a foreigner_ Merlin thought.

The girl's eyes narrowed as she snatched the shell, slammed it on the vendor's stall, and pointed violently at a green cloak hanging on a rack.

"Not again! She keeps doing this every time I give her the shell back!" the vendor cried in anguish.

Merlin frowned. He was completely at a loss. He picked up the shell again and held it in front of the girl's face.

"Not money." He insisted. "You need _real_ money. _Gold_"

The girl stared for a moment. Maybe now she was starting to get the picture. Her eyes started to open widely.

_Finally! Now we're making progress! _Merlin thought as he smiled.

But before Merlin could properly pat himself on the back, the girl quickly reached up and grabbed the sides of his jacket; pulling him closer to her face. And before Merlin knew it, he was locking lips with the mysterious girl. Shock, confusion, and happiness shot through his body as he stood there awkwardly kissing the strange foreigner. But he began to feel something else. Something _strange. _He felt like something was being taken from him. Like something was being absorbed by the girl. Merlin began to go limp in the knees, a feeling of coldness coming over him.

"Merlin?!"

The girl broke the kiss and Merlin spun around to face the confused and shocked face of Gwen. She was holding the dark satin that was at the previous vendor's stall in one hand and her purse of gold coins in the other.

"Gwen! Um, it's not what it looks like!"

Merlin became very aware that an audience had now gathered around them, watching the melodrama paying out.

"Well, now that that's over." came a light voice.

Merlin returned to face where the girl was standing. The look of confusion on her face was now completely gone. She ignored Merlin and the other onlookers, returning to he vendor.

"I'm so sorry, my good man, but I was unaware that my money wasn't of any use here. Please pardon my ignorance."

The vendor gawked at the now English fluent girl. "Um, it's alright?"

The girl flashed him a brilliant smile. She turned to look at Gwen and Merlin.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Is that _your_ money in that purse?"

Gwen nodded slowly.

"Would you mind if I borrowed three gold pieces? I promise I'll return the favor in some way."

"But, I have three pieces exactly." Gwen replied. "And I promised Merlin…"

Merlin snatched the purse from Gwen. "Consider this your repayment to me for the cloth shopping." He removed the three gold pieces from the bag and slammed them on the vendor's stall. "Give the lady her cloak!"

"Is that really a tree? Are these rocks? And those things in the sky; birds right?"

"Yes, that is a tree, those are rocks, and that is indeed a bird." Merlin replied, amused at the girl's newfound curiosity.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "You would have thought she's never seen any of these things before."

"Maybe because she hasn't."

Gwen snorted. "Who hasn't seen trees, rocks, and birds before? It's not like they're that hard to miss."

The now threesome made their way back to the castle, stopping every few minuets to answer the now very chatty girl's questions.

After what seemed like the billionth time they had to stop to answer a question, Gwen glared at Merlin.

"For goodness sakes, why did you have to bring her with us? At this rate we'll arrive at the castle after nightfall!"

"What was I supposed to do? Leave her there?"

"She would have made her way back home at some point or another." Gwen said as she began to walk again.

"But she's obviously a foreigner." Merlin replied. "Home might not be as close as the castle is to us."

"How do you know she's a foreigner? She speaks the same language as us."

Merlin gathered his thoughts for a moment. "But, when I was trying to explain to her that her money wasn't good, she looked at me like I had horns coming out of my head. It was as almost if she couldn't understand a word I was saying."

"Well, you wouldn't get that impression now, would ya?" Gwen said. "Asking all those questions; it's rather odd."

"I'll take her to see Gaius. Maybe he can make sense out of all of this." Merlin replied. He and Gwen looked over their shoulders to see if the girl was following them. Sure enough she was still behind them, marveling in her new cloak. She noticed their gazes and flashed them a brilliant, almost unearthly, white smile.

"My, my Merlin. You go to the market to purchase cloth and you come back with a young girl! How inconceivable!"

Merlin rolled his eyes. Now wasn't the time to question Merlin's moral standards. "Gaius, we found this girl in the market place. She doesn't seem to be from around these parts."

"I could have told you that." Gaius returned with a joking tinge in his voice. "Just look at her. She's the palest creature I've ever laid eyes upon. And those eyes; marvelous!"

Gwen snorted again. She was propped up against the left far wall in the cramped quarters that Merlin and Gaius shared. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were narrowed. Every person in the room could feel the hostility radiating from her; all except the girl who was sitting in a stool in the middle of the room.

Gaius paced around her, never taking his eyes off the curious creature. The girl followed him with her emerald eyes, a slight brightness in them. Almost as if she was enjoying watching the old physician as much as he was enjoying trying to figure out whom exactly she was.

"She was trying to pay for that lovely cloak with a shell, you say?" he asked Merlin, still never moving his eyes away.

"That's right." Merlin replied.

"And her skin is rather cold, correct?"

Merlin paused. "Yes."

"Hmmmm." Gaius paused and thought hard. "And she kissed you?"

Merlin blushed, Gwen snorted, and the girl smiled. "Y-yeah."

"Well then. Had a little bit of fun with our boy Merlin here, didn't you?" Gaius said smirking.

The girl tilted her head. "'Fun?' I needed to absorb the language."

Gaius's face suddenly became serious. "Absorb the language?"

The girl nodded. "I couldn't correspond with the vendor and the boy appeared. I took advantage of a good situation."

"You most certainly did, my dear." Gaius replied, the smirk returning to his face. "Gwen?"

Gwen stepped forward. "Yes, sir?"

"Gwen, would you please find a dress for our little miss here? Preferably something blue or green? Correct, my dear?"

The girl smiled widely and shook her head in agreement.

Gwen pursed her lips. "Of course."

Merlin gave Gwen a fleeting 'I'm sorry' glance as she walked out of the tiny room. She quickly shot back with a 'save it' scowl.

"Merlin, close the door." Gaius instructed. Merlin obeyed and joined Gaius.

"And you said that her hands were rather odd, correct?"

Merlin nodded, not quite sure at what Gaius was getting at. Gaius held out a withered hand to the girl.

"Your hand, my dear?"

The girl hesitated, but eventually placed her smooth white hand in Gaius' hand. He gently spread her fingers. Merlin's eyes widened.

"What is that?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"That, my boy, is webbing. She has webbed hands and feet as well I presume." Gaius replied.

"Wait. Webbing; like a duck?" Merlin asked, still in disbelief.

"Please, Merlin. Don't compare this lovely lady to a duck! Have some respect. You may or may not believe it, but we are in the presence of an ancient being of great intellect. Isn't that correct my dear?"

The girl smiled. Merlin stared at her. "Ancient being of great intellect? Her?"

Gaius smiled. "A mermyd. Never in my years would I have ever thought I'd be seeing a live mermyd!"

"Mermaid? Like the things with half the body of a human and half the body of a fish?" Merlin asked.

"Hardly!" the girl suddenly cried. "Those self absorbed man eaters! How could you compare someone like me to something like that?"

Merlin's mouth dropped opened. "I'm really very sorry, but I've never heard of a mermyd."

"I'm not surprised." Gaius replied, carrying a giant book over to where Merlin and the girl sat. He placed it close to Merlin and pointed at a drawing.

"Mermyd: A human like creature that varies in appearance and behavior. They are considered avid learners and they have an above normal intellect. They are attracted to green and bluish colors along with shiny objects. Mermyds live at the very bottom of the oceans and hardly ever come near the surface." Merlin read aloud.

"Until now," Gaius said smiling. "This is brilliant; absolutely brilliant!"

Merlin closed the book. "But that doesn't explain…"

"The kiss?" the girl finished.

Merlin could feel his face turning red again. The mermyd must have noticed because she gave a small giggle. "The one thing that book didn't specify is how we can attain all of that intellect. We absorb information."

"So, when you kissed me…?"

The girl nodded. "I was taking a little sample of your language. And, I forgot to say, thank you for being a more than willing volunteer."

"Sure; anytime." Merlin replied scratching at a nonexistent itch on the back of his neck.

The girl seemed to revel in Merlin's awkwardness. A sudden knock emitted from the door and Gwen entered the room.

"I found this dress in the storage rooms. I hope it'll fit her."

Gaius took the dress from Gwen and examined it. "I'm sure it'll be perfect."

"So, what's with her then? You get any information?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah, more than enough." Merlin replied looking bashful.

"Oh my goodness!" Gaius suddenly exclaimed. "How horribly rude of us. Here we are asking all of these questions and never inquiring your name."

The mermyd smiled warmly. "It's quite all right. Eilwen. My name is Eilwen."

Eliwen pranced around the room in her new clothes. It was a lovely blue form fitting dress with a drape across the shoulders and long white sleeves. The sleeves floated around the girl's tiny frame as she spun around.

Gaius had excused himself to fetch the girl some food. Merlin sat on a stool at the small table in near the center of the room, playing babysitter. He read and reread the passage about the mermyds in the book Gaius had given him. He read the words so many times, his eyes started to become blurry. Merlin looked up from the book and saw Eilwen admiring herself in a window.

"You must really like that dress." He said after a few moments.

Eilwen spun around to face him. "Oh yes, very much so."

She said it with such a joyous tone that Merlin couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad. It does look very lovely on you."

Eilwen returned the smile. "Thank you." She moved away from the window and sat across from Merlin at the table.

"Now that you've asked me questions, I want to ask some."

"Haven't you already asked questions? Does trees and birds ring a bell?" Merlin asked playfully.

"Those were just simple questions. I want to know some more intricate information."

Merlin closed the book and crossed his arms on the table. "Ok, I'll try to answer them as best as I can."

Eilwen thought for a moment. "Where exactly am I?"

"You're in Camelot."

Eliwen paused again. "I've heard of that place. Who is the king?"

"King Uther Pendragon."

Eilwen nodded. "Thought as much. And his son?"

"Arthur."

"Right." Eilwen collected her thoughts once again. "So, my lessons were all correct."

"Lessons?" Merlin inquired.

Eilwen nodded. "Mermyds are educated in many fields of study. Human Anthropology is my favorite."

"Human Anthropology? You actually learn about _us_?" Merlin asked a little amazed.

"Of course. We learn about as many human cultures as we are able to."

"How do you acquire such information if your people never come to the surface?"

"We take the books and logs from sunken ships. You wouldn't believe how many ships sink every year or so, it's unbelievable!"

"So you knew about Camelot, the King, and Arthur before you arrived here?" Merlin asked.

"Yes. But the records said absolutely nothing about you." Eilwen said tilting her head again.

Merlin shifted in his chair. "I'm not all that important."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Eilwen said.

"What?" Merlin said, a tad dumbfounded.

But before he could get a clearer answer out of Eilwen, the door swung open.

"Dinner time, my lady!" Gaius cried as he set a plate down on the table. A strong, pungent odor quickly filled the room.

"Ugh! What is that?" Merlin exclaimed as he used his hand to try and wave away the smell.

"Ah! Raw fish; how lovely!" Eilwen said enthusiastically clapping her hands together.

Gaius beamed. "Only the very best for such an honored guest."

Merlin looked at Gaius, shocked. "You can't feed her that, she'll get sick!"

"I don't think she minds." Gaius returned, looking at Eilwen. Merlin turned his attention to the girl and the now empty plate.

"You are very aware that this girl must not reveal her true identity to any other person in this castle, right?" Gaius said after a long time.

It was now night as Gaius addressed Merlin who was staring at Eilwen. The mermyd had taken a seat next to the fire with a book in her hand, turning the pages with incredible speed.

"I kinda got that impression." Merlin replied. "Having webbed fingers would be an interesting conversation starter."

"I'm serious, Merlin." Gaius said in a grave voice. "People today don't believe in such creatures. If they would happen to discover this girl was a mermyd, hell would surly unleash its wrath on the kingdom. And just thing of what Uther might do to her."

Merlin's blood suddenly ran cold. If Uther found out what Eilwen was…well, Merlin didn't want to think about what might happen.

"So, what will we do with her?" he asked.

"Treat her like a welcomed guest, I would imagine." Gaius sighed. "I'll find her a pair of gloves to hide the 'you-know-what."

Gaius stood up from his seat at the table and walked over to where Eilwen sat, still engrossed in her book.

"I believe that you should get some rest, my dear. You've had a very long day."

Eilwen nodded; closing the book.

"Get a lot of rest for tomorrow because I'm sure Merlin would love to take you on a tour of the castle tomorrow, wouldn't you Merlin?"

Merlin straightened up. "Huh? But, what about the whole 'not letting anyone know about her' speech?"

Gaius put his hand behind his back. "Well, it's not like we can keep her cooped up all day. Just be careful with her, as I know you will be. I'm sure she would love a little walk around. Wouldn't you?"

Eilwen's eyes flashed and she smiled.

"But what about Arthur? I'm supposed to be with him at sword practice tomorrow." Merlin protested.

"Oh I'm sure Arthur won't mind you taking time away from watching him stab haystacks." Gaius said chuckling. "Now, off to bed the two of you!"

Merlin began to rise when a thought struck him. "Gaius, where is Eilwen going to sleep?"

Gaius just smiled.

The floor was not comfortable at all, even though Merlin tried to place as many blankets there as he possibly could.

"Be a gentleman, Merlin. Give up your nice warm, cozy bed to the fish girl, Merlin. Figures." Merlin whispered to himself as he tossed and turned on the floor.

Eilwen slept soundly on Merlin's cot; making the occasional whining here and there.

This was completely unfair. Merlin was only trying to help a distressed foreigner, and look where it got him: sleeping on the floor of his own room! Not only that, but Gwen was obviously cross with him after the whole kiss situation. But they were only friends; why would she be getting all upset about something as trivial as that? And it wasn't even like Merlin enjoyed it or anything. It wasn't a real kiss; just a way for Eilwen to learn his language. And she obviously didn't enjoy it, right?

"Nah, she couldn't have." Merlin said out loud. Maybe a bit too loud, because after he said that, Eilwen shifted on the bed. Merlin waited to see if he had woken her. After a few moments of silence, he figured he hadn't. Until:

"Merlin?" came a soft whisper.

Oops.

No response.

"Merlin, are you still awake?"

Merlin shut his eyes and bit his lip. Should he answer her?

A pause. "I'm sorry, Merlin."

Now this got his attention.

"Sorry for what?" he asked cautiously.

"For what happened today." Eilwen replied.

"Like what?" Merlin played dumb.

"Kissing you, upsetting your girlfriend, and taking your bed."

Merlin shifted onto his right side, facing the bed. "First, I forgive you for the kiss; second, Gwen is not my girlfriend; and third, I blame that on Gaius."

Eilwen made a small giggle. "Your master can be quite persistent, can't he?"

"You have no idea." Merlin grumbled.

Eilwen also shifted on the bed. "And about your 'friend' Gwen; if she isn't your girlfriend, why is she so upset with me?"

"Dunno." Merlin replied honestly. "She gets a bit weird sometimes."

"Ah." Eilwen said, almost to herself. "I'm quite looking forward to tomorrow."

Merlin suddenly realized what 'tomorrow' was. "Yeah."

"I've always wanted to see what Camelot looked like on the inside." Eilwen continued. "I want to see if it's just like the records describe."

"It is truly amazing." Merlin replied, reminiscing about his own first encounter with the magnificent castle.

Another pause. "Thank you for being willing to show it to me. I hope I'm not being a bother."

"Well, it sure beats watching Arthur for hours on end stabbing the hell out of inanimate objects." Merlin realized, suddenly relieved at the thought.

Eilwen adjusted the covers on the bed. "Arthur. I wonder what he's like."

Merlin snorted. "Oh, he's something alright. Just you wait."

A sliver of light made its way through the dust covered window in Merlin's cramped room. It fell across the room and rested upon Merlin's closed eyelids. The heat became unbearable; making Merlin stir. He didn't know how long he and Eilwen had stayed up talking, but it must have been while; he was still rather tired. As Merlin began to feel conscious, he noticed that there was something laying halfway on him. Upon further investigation, he soon realized that it wasn't a something but a _someone. _Eilwen was laying on Merlin's left side, grasping his shirt; nestled into his chest, still fast asleep. In his sleep deprived state, Merlin saw the whole situation as rather surprising; he let out a yelp and jumped up off the floor. Eilwen stirred slowly awake as thundering footsteps arrived at the door. Gaius rushed in and assessed the situation.

"What was the dreadful noise?" he cried as Merlin paced the room.

"I don't know! I woke up and _she _was sleeping on me!" Merlin replied pointing wildly at Eilwen who yawned.

Gaius looked from Eilwen to Merlin and then from Merlin to EIilwen. A small smile spread across his face. "Did I stumble upon something?"

Merlin stopped pacing; the sudden realization of what Gaius was implying horrified him.

"Oh please not that again! It's nothing like that at all! She must have fallen or something during the night." Merlin replied.

"Huh? Is it morning already?" Eilwen asked, oblivious to the commotion around her. She looked at where she was sitting; a slight look of confusion crossed her face. "Why am I on the floor?"

"You tell me!" Merlin said.

Eilwen looked at him strangely. She looked at the floor and then back at Merlin. She must have realized what had happened because her eyes suddenly became very wide.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried as she stood up. "I'm so sorry! I knew something like this would happen!"

"Something like what?" Gaius asked.

Eilwen's face turned pink. "Sometimes I fall out of bed when I sleep. It's been happening ever since I was a little girl."

Merlin and Eilwen stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Elwen's face full of remorse, Merlin's face full of shock.

"Well then!" Gaius said clapping his hands together. "Breakfast anyone?"

Eilwen stayed as far behind Merlin as she could; noticeably still embarrassed over what had happened that morning. Merlin walked as quickly as he could; the sooner this little tour of the castle was over, the sooner he could get rid of Eilwen and possibly go about doing what he normally did. The tour started out awkward and fast pace. Merlin showed Eilwen the kitchen, main dining room, ect. She seemed very interested about the tapestries that adorned the rooms and hallways, but she was hesitant in asking about them. Maybe Merlin shouldn't have yelled at her this morning; but, it was quite shocking waking up next to a strange fish girl. Merlin led Eilwen up the south tower steps and onto the pathway overlooking the castle grounds. The early afternoon breeze wafted over the top of the castle. The breeze also brought with it the sounds of clashing metal.

"Ah, here we go." Merlin said leading Eilwen to the wall; pointing over the side. "You wanted to see Arthur, well there he is."

Eilwen leaned over the wall, following Merlin's outstretched finger.

Arthur was on the castle grounds below, sword in hand, fighting with a broad shouldered man. Arthur blocked the opponent's advances with heroic grace. Merlin glanced over at Eilwen to see her reaction. Eilwen just stood there, eyes fixated on Arthur, wonder and amazement in her eyes. Merlin felt a tinge of something in his stomach; but just as quickly as it had appeared it had disappeared. He decided now would be a good time for some small talk.

"So," he started.

Eilwen quickly met Merlin's eyes. "Yes?"

"So, um, you like Camelot then?" he asked scratching his head.

Eilwen nodded enthusiastically. "I love it! It's 100 times more impressive than my king's castle."

"What's your king's castle like?" Merlin asked, suddenly interested.

Eilwen thought deeply for a moment. "Well, it's completely made out of coral and shells. There are no doors, only little portholes where the mermyds swim through and there are three pillars that represent the three mermyd clans that inhabit the sea."

Merlin perked up. "There are different kinds of you?"

"You could say that. Each clan has their own characteristics that define them. Like me for example: I look like you except my hands and feet are different."

"And the absorbing language thing too, right?" Merlin added.

"Actually, that's a characteristic that all mermyds share. It's something that we have developed over the decades."

Merlin's eyes widened. "Decades? That's not possible, you look no older than nineteen."

Eilwen blushed slightly. "Thank you, but it's true. My people age very, very slowly. I'm actually three-hundred years old."

Merlin was completely interested now. "Tell me more about your home. What is it like? What do your people do? How is it different from here?"

"Well, we have a king, like you do. He's very just, but very set in his ways. We have markets like yours. We use shells and other items that we find to bargain and trade; hence why I tried to use a shell to acquire that cloak.

"We have elders who teach us everything that are in our records. We have physicians, much like your master, Gaius, who treat the ill."

"And the different clans?" Merlin asked.

"There are three united clans: the Yellow Tail Clan, the Red Fin Clan, and the Blue Shell Clan. I'm from the Blue Shell Clan, the clan which our king is descended from. The Yellow Tail Clan is mostly made up of physicians, the Red Fin Clan consists of warriors, and the Blue Shell Clan is made up of scholars and those who are avid learners."

"Wow," Merlin said breathlessly. "that's incredible! So many different clans, all specializing in different fields; and you all live peacefully?"

"Most times." Eilwen replied, her tone changing slightly. "There is one way that peace is maintained among all the clans. The king must marry his daughters to the sons of the diplomats of the other clans. That way, there is a connection among the clans."

"Ah, like what we do here." Merlin said.

Eilwen nodded. "I'm not fond of it. Other than that, I love it there. It's so peaceful. You know, it rains there; but it's a different type of rain than what you have here. Instead of rain drops, tiny little bubbles rise from the bottom of the sea floor and make their way up to the surface."

"Like a backward rain shower." Merlin said. "Brilliant! But, if you love your home so much, why did you want to leave it? Your people hardly ever come to the surface, and I'm pretty sure you didn't just come here to take a stroll."

Eilwen's face fell and Merlin regretted asking the question. Eilwen turned to face where Arthur was still practicing; eyes lowered. "There were happenings that I didn't agree with."

Merlin felt sorry for the poor girl. Whatever had made her come here troubled her deeply. Merlin turned to where Arthur was standing on the ground. He had stopped fighting and was now whipping his face and neck. Something in the corner of Merlin's eye caught his attention. Another one of Arthur's other servants was carrying an armful of swords; probably on his way to get them sharpened. The servant looked a few years younger than Merlin and was visibly having trouble carrying all of the heavy swords. Merlin leaned closer to the edge; a bad feeling creeping over him. And then he saw why: a large rock was in the path of the struggling servant.

"Please miss it, please miss it." Merlin begged quietly.

But the servant was completely unaware of the obstruction in his path. Merlin watched in horror as the servant approached the rock; his foot catching on the side of it. As he fell, the swords flew out of his arms and headed straight for where Arthur stood.

Merlin concentrated hard on redirecting the falling swords. He could feel his power swell up within him; directing his energy at the swords and causing them to slow down. They hovered for a moment and then quickly fell to the ground right behind Arthur's back. At the sound of falling metal Arthur spun around.

"What in the hell happened?!" he cried at the bewildered servant.

A symphony of curses and scolds followed. Merlin felt sorry for the poor servant, but a few harsh words were better than an injured, or dead, Arthur.

Merlin chuckled at his own cleverness. But his joy was short lived when he noticed Eilwen staring at him. Dread soon flushed through Merlin's body. Had she seen him use his magic?

Merlin gawked as he waited for Eilwen to say something.

"M-magic?" She stuttered. "You can use magic?"

"Oh no." Merlin groaned.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Merlin walked swiftly back down the corridors; Eilwen close behind him.

"But I saw you! You used magic!" She cried.

Merlin stopped and spun around. "Keep your voice down, will you?"

Eilwen's eyes got big. "So you _admit _it, you can use magic!" she whispered. "You know, I thought I felt that there something different about you when we kissed."

Merlin rolled his eyes, ignoring the kissing comment. "I didn't admit anything. I just want you to keep your voice down. What if someone were to see you? You still don't have a pair of gloves to hide those hands of yours."

Eilwen lowered her eyes in quiet apology.

Merlin straightened up. "Right then, better be off to see if Gaius could find you some gloves."

As Merlin started walking again, a tiny voice behind him said. "I knew it."

Gaius poured over his books, searching to see if his guess about the mermyd was correct. And if it was, Gaius was going to have a mess of trouble on his hands.

The door to the tiny apartment flew opened and an exacerbated Merlin walked inside. Eilwen followed close behind him repeating: "But I saw you!"

Merlin stopped and grabbed Eilwen by the shoulders. "I've told you a thousand times: I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Eilwen, not taken aback by Merlin's sudden aggression, continued. "But then how did those swords just float to the ground? They were heading right for Arthur, and you saved him."

Merlin, still holding Eilwen's shoulder, hung his head.

Gaius, who had kept quiet up until this point, gingerly put his hand up. "Merlin, I think it's quite alright to tell her."

Merlin slowly raised his head. "Are you positive?"

Gaius nodded. "I think your secret is safe with Eilwen. Now if you excuse me, I best be off looking for those gloves."

Gaius exited the room; Merlin sat down, exhausted.

"Alright fine, I can do magic. Are you happy now?"

Eilwen took a seat in front of him. "I knew it!"

"Oh you're so clever." Merlin said sarcastically.

"Yes I am thank you." Eilwen replied. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your abilities; as long as you don't tell anyone about mine."

Merlin sat up. "What?"

Eilwen smiled as she reached for a glass filled with water that was sitting on the table. She placed her hand over top of it; closing her eyes. Suddenly her eyes flew opened; they were now a magnificent shade of blue. Eilwen slowly raised her hand that rested over the cup. A small, stretched column of water followed the upward motion of her palm. She raised her other hand and slowly shaped the water into a small globe.

Merlin sat there dumbfounded. "Magic?"

"Something like that. Water sorcery." Eilwen replied, visibly enthralled with Merlin's reaction.

Just as quickly as she had started, Eilwen guided the water back to the cup; her eyes returning to their normal emerald color.

A wide smile broke across Merlin's face. "That was brilliant! How did you do that?"

Eilwen shrugged. "Years of practice. And I guess it looks like you're not the only one who has a big secret around here. Well, other than the obvious" Eliwen flexed her webbed fingers.

Merlin chuckled as Gaius returned to the small room. He had a lovely pair of white gloves in his hand. "Here you are, my lady." He said presenting them to her.

Eilwen nodded in thanks and admired the gloves.

"Did you two behave while I was away?" he asked.

Merlin looked at Gaius and smiled "I think we got along just swimmingly."

Merlin couldn't sleep that night; and this time it wasn't because of the floor. For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening Merlin asked as many questions as he could think of about water sorcery.

Eilwen had told him that it was an ability that her people were born with and as they grew, so did their abilities. The most powerful mermyds were the elders; they were the ones who had the most control over their powers.

"So, you're not in control of your abilities?" Merlin had asked.

"Not quite." Eilwen had replied. "My sorcery is fueled by my emotions. If I were to get incredibly upset about something; well, let's just not think about that."

"That sounds like me." Merlin said, a tad bashful. "I can control it most of the time, but there are moments where I feel it's controlling me."

Eilwen nodded. "That's exactly like me! I'm so glad to hear someone else has that problem. Back home, I'm the only one out of my four-hundred and fifty brothers and sisters who can't completely control their powers."

"Woah, big family. Family reunions must be a laugh" Merlin said.

Eilwen groaned. "You have _no _idea. But, who wants to hear about my family troubles. What about you? Are you the only one who can use magic here or are there others?"

"If there were I wouldn't know." Merlin replied simply. "Uther outlawed magic."

"What? But how can that be? If we were not allowed to practice our water magic it would be just like telling us we're no longer allowed to breathe!"

"Well, it's not exactly like that, but it's just as bad. I have to keep my powers hidden from everyone. It does become quite troublesome at times."

"I can imagine." Eilwen said. "I just feel so sorry for you. Having to keep your true self hidden like that." She reached across the table and placed her hand upon Merlin's.

Merlin, taking full advantage of Eilwen's sympathy, gave the best forlorn look he could muster. "Oh yes, it is absolutely dreadful. Having to hide something from the people who are closest to me, it really hurts inside."

Eilwen nodded. "I can tell. But, you don't have to feel alone anymore."

Merlin considered this. Eilwen was right; he wasn't alone anymore.

"Yeah," he said smiling. "I guess I'm not."

The next morning, Merlin was summoned to Arthur's chambers. Merlin already knew what Arthur wanted to see him about, so he prepared himself for the verbal abuse that was to ensue.

Merlin knocked on the chamber door and Arthur granted him entrance. Arthur stood before a full length mirror, adjusting his shirt. Before Merlin could get the first word, Arthur beat him to it.

"I was wondering where you were yesterday." He said motioning Merlin over to help him adjust his clothes. Without hesitation, Merlin rushed over and began to assist Arthur.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." He said.

Arthur ignored his apology and continued. "You missed a very interesting practice. Some idiotic servant almost impaled me!"

"I'm glad that you're not injured." Merlin replied.

"Oh, are you." Arthur stated. "I'm sure you were loving it."

Merlin stopped adjusting Arthur's shoes. "Excuse me?"

Arthur turned to face Merlin. "Don't think I didn't see you watching up near the tower."

"Ah." Merlin said looking down.

Arthur returned to looking at himself in the mirror. "I won't ask for specifics, but I would like to know who that lovely girl that was with you is."

Merlin panicked. He was completely unaware that Arthur could see them. He tried to think of a way around it.

"What girl?" he played dumb.

"I'm not an idiot, Merlin, I saw you with a girl. Who is she and what is she doing here?"

Merlin thought quickly. "Her name is Eilwen and she's…Gaius' granddaughter."

"Granddaughter?" Arthur asked. "I didn't think Gaius had children let alone grandchildren."

"Well, they're not related by blood. He…adopted her."

Arthur paused. "Adopted, you say?"

Merlin desperately hoped that this was working. "Yeah, you see her parents were real good friends with Gaius. They recently died leaving the poor girl homeless, so she decided to pop in and stay with Gaius until she can find a place to stay permanently."

Arthur seemed to be buying it. "Well, that makes sense. But why was she with you yesterday?"

"Gaius told me to show her the castle."

"Well, I could have done that." Arthur said straightening his tunic. "Rather have it done right."

Merlin cocked an eyebrow. "Of course."

Arthur took one last look in the mirror. "Bring her with you to dinner tonight. I would like to meet his Eilwen."

Merlin froze. "Um, I don't think that would be a good idea."

Arthur glared at Merlin. "And why not? I don't want to be rude to a guest."

"She's, um, a little…odd."

"How so?"

"Well, she's from a village far, far, very far away from here and she might have difficulties with our customs."

"What village is she from ?"  
"Um, the Blue Shell village."

Arthur thought for a moment. "I've never head of it."

"Oh, it's quite a far ways out. Near the sea I believe." Merlin said.

"Interesting. You may go now, Merlin." Arthur said waving Merlin away.

Merlin made a slight bow and exited the room. But before he could completely close the chamber door Arthur shouted one last thing.

"I will see you and Eilwen at dinner tonight."

Merlin winced. _Perfect._

"Absolutely not!" Gaius exclaimed when Merlin told him about Arthur's invitation.

"But he expects her there." Merlin replied.

Gaius shook his head. "I won't have it. What is something happens to her? What if they find out what she is? Pandemonium will erupt! I told you to be carful with her."

"Don't go blaming this on me. What about you? 'go show her around the castle, Merlin'. How did you expect something like this not to happen?" Merlin fought back.

The two continued to argue; their voices growing louder and louder.

"Enough!"

Merlin and Gaius immediately stopped arguing and looked at Eilwen who was sitting at the table.

"I will go to dinner." She said standing up. "I will be careful, I promise you. And please stop treating me like a child; I have a right to decide on my own, don't I?  
Gaius and Merlin exchanged looks; a bit embarrassed about their argument.

Eilwen placed her hand on Gaius' arm and smiled. "I'll be fine, don't worry. And besides, Merlin will be there." She looked at Merlin who gave her a small smile.

Gaius took a deep breath. "Alright, you may go." He patted her hand. "Have a lovely time."

"Are you ready yet?" Merlin asked outside of his bedroom door. Eilwen had been getting ready for about an hour now. Dinner would be getting underway in less than twenty minutes and Merlin did not what to have her be fashionably late.

"Almost!" she called back. "I'm just having a bit of trouble with something."

"Need help?" Merlin asked.

"Yeah, could you?"

Merlin opened the door. Eilwen stood in front of a full length mirror. She had exchanged her blue dress for a light green one, without the long draped sleeves. She wore a gold sash around her waist and her hair was partially done up in the back. Merlin gawked for a moment. Eilwen noticed him and bade him to come over.

"It's this necklace." She said. "I can't ever seem to be able to fasten it."

Merlin noticed her straining to fasten the necklace. He carefully took the two sides of the necklace from Eilwen's gloved hands. After a few tries, Merlin got the clasp to fasten. He placed it carefully on the back of Eilwen's neck, accidentally brushing up against her skin. The coolness of her skin made Merlin shiver. How could someone so small feel this cold? He hoped that Eilwen couldn't feel his almost blazing hot fingers on her skin. She mustn't because she continued to adjust the necklace in the mirror. Merlin gazed at the reflection the necklace made. It consisted of tree strands of silver pearls; starting close around her throat and continuing down her chest. But that's not caught his attention; on the last strand was a giant green stone. It looked like it had been polished repeatedly because it shone so clearly.

"That's quite a gem." Merlin commented.

"It is isn't it?" Eilwen replied, turning to face him. "It's something that we mermyds call a sea stone. We are each given one to guard until we find its rightful owner."

"Owner?" Merlin asked.

"Someone we see as important; destined for greatness." Eilwen replied.

Merlin thought for a moment. "Arthur?"

"That's what I'm hoping." Eilwen said. "But we'll see."

"Yeah." Merlin said, a tad bit rejected. But the feeling soon subsided when he noticed how close he actually was to Eilwen. He realized how big her eyes really were; and how more green they were than blue. Her hair was more silvery than blond; her skin wasn't completely white; she actually had freckles across her nose and on her cheeks. And she must not be as cold as she felt, because he could feel a little bit of warmth escaping from her tiny frame.

Eilwen shifted uneasily and Merlin realized that he had been staring at her longer than he should have. He could feel his face getting hot again.

"Dinner then?" he asked.

"Dinner then." Eilwen said, smiling.

"Now remember what I told you: you're Gaius' adopted granddaughter. Your parents were great friends with him and after they died you decided to stay with him until you can find a permanent place to live. Remember to keep your gloves on at all times. Oh, and don't talk about mermyd stuff."

Eilwen rolled her eyes. "Yes father."

"I'm serious, Eilwen. The last thing I want to see is you getting your head chopped off!"

Eilwen smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've been to royal banquets before; I know what's expected of me."

Merlin stopped. "You've been to royal banquets? But how…?"

Eilwen must have caught what she had said; her mouth opened and closed making her look like a fish. But before Merlin could get a straight answer out of her, a smooth voice came from behind them.

"So, is this the fair maiden that Arthur has taken a sudden interest in?"

Morgana, accompanied by a less than enthusiastic Gwen, stopped near Merlin and Eilwen. She was dressed in a sleeveless purple tunic that was tied around her neck. Her raven black hair was curled loosely and trailed down her back. She smiled warmly at Eilwen, who returned the gesture.

"My, my, it seems he was telling the truth. You are quite a sight to behold. Don't you think so Gwen?"  
"Yeah, she sure is a _sight_." Gwen answered rolling her eyes.

Merlin gulped; this could be bad. He hadn't seen Gwen since the day he met Eilwen. In all honesty, Merlin was a little afraid to talk to Gwen since then. Could she still be that upset over what had happened?

The answer was clearly yes. Gwen looked Eilwen up and down; her features motionless.

"Well, we mustn't be late." Morgana said. "It was lovely to finally see you." She bowed her head slightly to Eilwen who also returned the bow. Morgana walked on; Gwen close behind her. Merlin smiled at her, but Gwen ignored him.

It was going to be an interesting night.

The room was filled to the brim with nobles and high class officials. People were gathered in groups holding friendly conversations. The atmosphere seemed like a fairly calm one; that was until Eilwen and Merlin walked into the room. A few people turned around to witness the newcomer; but then one after the other, more and more people stopped having their nice little private conversations to stop and stare. The once noisy room was now dead silent.

Merlin glanced at Eilwen, who didn't seem to really notice everyone staring at her.

"This isn't awkward at all." Merlin whispered to Eilwen. But Eilwen didn't respond; her mind was definitely on someone else at that moment. Arthur appeared from the mass of guests; dressed in his best red tunic. He stopped in front of where Eilwen stood.

"Everyone back to what you were doing." He said waving his hand. "Stop making the lady uncomfortable."

The guests took one last look at Eilwen and slowly returned to their conversations.

"Lady Eilwen I presume?" Arthur said kissing her hand.

"You presume correct, my lord. It is quite an honor to make your acquaintance." Eilwen replied.

"The honor is certainly all mine." Arthur returned. "I must say; you are quite an exquisite girl. I've never seen someone with hair that fair before."

Merlin could see Eilwen blush from the corner of his eye. A little flicker of anger flashed through his body. Merlin was quite aware of what Arthur was doing; and he didn't like it. Eilwen wasn't like the other girls that Arthur wooed and Merlin prayed that she used that high intellect of hers to see right through Arthur's charm.

But that obviously wasn't going to happen.

"I would be very honored if you would sit besides me at dinner." Arthur said.

"I would be more than happy to, my lord." Eilwen replied.

Arthur made a slight bow and offered his right arm to her. Eilwen curtsied and graciously accepted it.

"Come Merlin." Arthur instructed. Merlin rolled his eyes; following slowly.

Arthur carefully pulled Eilwen's chair back so she could sit. Arthur took a seat next to her; Merlin stood behind him. Morgana was seated on the other side of Arthur; Gwen standing behind her. Merlin inched near her.

"Gwen." He whispered.

She didn't respond.

"Gwen. Gwen. Gwen."

"What do you want Merlin?!" she finally said.

"Are you still upset?"

She grunted.

"I'll take that as a yes." Merlin said. "I'm sorry about what happened. That kiss thing was one of Eilwen's customs. It's, um, a greeting."

"Oh really?" Gwen asked. "So then why isn't she all over Arthur? Or Morgana for that matter?"

"Honestly, Gwen. Can you please stop being like this; I just want us to be friends again."

Silence. "I guess that's how it's going to have to be. Ok, I forgive you."

Merlin wasn't quite sure what Gwen meant by that first part, but at least she had forgiven him.

Merlin then turned his attention back to Eilwen.

"Where are you from, lady Eilwen?" he heard Arthur ask.

"I come from a village near the sea, up north." Eilwen replied sweetly.

"A village? How can such as beauty such as you come from a meager village?" Arthur said.

Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Merlin tells me that you're Gaius' adopted granddaughter."

"Oh yes, you see he was good friends with my mother. And when she died I decided to stay with him for a while; at least until I can find somewhere else to live."

Arthur stopped. "Wait, Merlin told me that both of your parents are dead."

Merlin saw Eilwen tense.

"Well, my father died shortly after my mother. I had left and I wasn't able to see him before he passed on." Eilwen dabbed the corners of her eyes.

Merlin smirked. Good recovery.

Arthur believed her. "I'm so sorry about your parent's deaths. What did they die of?"

Eilwen thought quickly. "My mother died giving birth to my baby brother. My father was so distraught over my mother's death that he threw himself over a fishing boat."

Merlin shifted slightly. Creative.

"God, that is terrible." Arthur said. "You poor creature. I give you my permission to stay at Camelot for as long as you need. I'll discuss finding a permanent residence with my father."

"Where is the king?" Eilwen suddenly asked.

"Out on some business or something." Arthur replied. "But that's not important. What's important now is where has Merlin been keeping a curious creature like you all this time?"

Eilwen smiled. "In his room."

Morgana suddenly dropped her goblet. Gwen rushed over quickly to clean it up. Arthur coughed and shifted. Merlin groaned.

"Is that so?" Arthur asked shooting a look at Merlin.

Merlin felt like dying then and there; then the food started to be served.

As the guests enjoyed their meal of hot chicken breast; Eilwen sat and stared at it.

Arthur noticed her not eating. "Lady Eilwen, is this food unacceptable?"

Eilwen wrinkled her nose. "Not really. Don't you have any other kinds of food? Fish perhaps?"

"I'll have the cook prepare you a fresh grilled fish at once." Arthur reassured her.

"Oh no, don't cook it. I'll have it raw, thank you." Eilwen said sweetly.

Arthur stared at Eilwen. "What kind of village were you from again?"

The night dragged on. After Eilwen received her fish, Arthur decided to delight her with stories about his battles. They were so dull that even Merlin was having trouble staying awake. He was quite certain that Eilwen was enjoying them. Merlin was sure that she had found the guardian of her stone. Every one of Arthur's stories consisted of his numerous acts of bravery. But after what seemed like the third hour of Arthur's stories; Eilwen said that she was exhausted and excused herself from the banquet.

"So soon already, my lady? But I haven't told you about the time I…"

Eilwen put a finger on his lips. "I'll gladly listen to your stories next time we meet, my lord. I had a lovely evening, goodnight."

Eilwen walked out of the room. Merlin decided to sneak away after her; seeing as Arthur was completely struck with confusion at Eilwen's sudden disappearing act.

Eilwen gazed at the starry night sky; resting her arms on the ledge of the castle wall.

Merlin quietly approached her.

"It's cold out here, isn't it?" he said.

Eilwen looked over her shoulder. "I guess so."

Merlin cautiously moved forward. "Here." He said removing his outer jacket; placing it on Eilwen's shoulders. She mumbled thanks.

"I knew I'd find you here." He said quietly.

Eilwen sighed. "I thought you would."

Merlin leaned on the ledge next to her. "I'm surprised you left so early. It looked like you and Arthur were really hitting it off."

"I guess at first we did." Eilwen said. "But, I don't know. He just seems so…"

"Full of himself? Arrogant? Rude?" Merlin suggested.

"Stubborn, stuck up?" Eilwen smiled, but it suddenly diminished. "I was so sure that my stone belonged to him." She lightly touched the green stone around her neck. "But when I was with him, I felt nothing."

"But this was just one night. You'll have loads more time to spend with him; I'll make sure of it." Merlin reassured.

Eilwen grimaced. "I don't know if I can handle any more of his stories though."

"I don't know if anyone can." Merlin confessed.

Eilwen's smile returned. "It's rather sad. You read books about how princes act and behave and you get this image in your head. And then it all falls to pieces right at your feet."

"Just give it more time. Things will work out." Merlin reassured.

"I'll try." Eilwen said. "It's just so hard when Arthur acts like a…"

"Prat." Merlin and Eilwen said together.

They both laughed. "Looks like I didn't just absorb your language." Eilwen joked.

Merlin smiled. The two of them stood there for a few moments; just looking at the sky.

Then Merlin got an idea.

"The night is still young, lady Eilwen. Whatever shall we do?" He asked playfully.

Eilwen thought for a moment. "I don't know, lord Merlin. Any ideas?"

"Just one." He replied smirking. He offered her his left arm. "Shall we?"

Eilwen took his arm. "We shall. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything, my lady."

Eilwen smiled half heartedly. "No battle stories."

Merlin just laughed.

"What did I do wrong?" Arthur moaned, head in hands.

"Your stories must have bored her. They always bore me." Morgana said.

"How could they? They're exciting!"

Morgana placed a hand on his shoulder. "She was probably just tired, Arthur."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. Maybe show her the armory."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Morgana replied. "Now, come along. It's way past your bed time."

"Who do you think you are: my mother?" Arthur said teasing.

Arthur and Morgana walked out of the banquet room.

One by one the servants blew out the candles that had lit the room.

One of the servants, a girl with brown hair and brown eyes, quickly blew out the last candle. It was late, and she had to get to bed so she could help prepare breakfast the next day. In her hurriedness; she blew the candle out too quickly, causing a small ember to fly onto the ground. The girl rushed out of the banquet hall, closing the large wooden doors behind her. But what the girl didn't notice was that the small ember had fallen on a tapestry which was now beginning to smoke.

"Where are we going, Merlin?" Eilwen asked breathless.

"Just wait!" Merlin replied.

Merlin dragged Eilwen by the hand down hallways and staircases. They finally arrived at a small conclave in a wall below one of the staircases. Merlin checked to see if there were any guards there; but they all seemed to be off somewhere.

"A hole in the wall?" Eilwen asked crossing her arms. "This is what you dragged me here for?"

Merlin took one of the torches off the wall. "It's inside the hole in the wall. You'll love it, I promise."

Eilwen gave Merlin a disbelieving look.

"Come on." he said giving her his best smile.

Eliwen smirked. "Fine, lead on."

Merlin grabbed Eilwen's hand and led her through the small hole.

In the dinging room, the small flame erupted into a bigger one. Soon the whole bottom half of the tapestry was completely charred. Smoke poured out from the cracks in the door that lead into the hallway.

A young guard was patrolling the hallway at the exact moment that the smoke was wafting our from under the door. He stopped and faced the doorway. He tried to open the doors, but it was locked. The young guard decided that now was a time to get some of the other guards. Something just didn't seem right.

Merlin and Eilwen trekked through the dark, damp cave.

"We're almost there." Merlin said.

"I really do hope so." Eilwen replied. "It's quite dingy in here."

Merlin led her to a small opening in the cave. He held the torch up and called out.

Suddenly the sound of giant wings echoed throughout the cave. A large, golden plated dragon descended, perching on a nearby bolder.

"Ah, come to visit me again I see." It said.

"Yeah, and this time I brought a guest." Merlin stepped back behind Eilwen so the Dragon could see her.

The Dragon's eyes widened. "A mermyd!" it exclaimed. "I never in my life would have guessed I would have the opportunity to see a mermyd."

Eilwen was just as impressed. "I never thought I would ever see a live dragon! It is an honor."

"As it is to meet you; but I'm very positive that your father must be sick with worry over where you are."

Eilwen shifted. "I'll deal with that later."

"Oh, I'm sure you will." The Dragon said.

Merlin stepped in. "Eilwen and I have a question for you."

"You may ask."

"It's Eilwen's sea stone. It belongs to Arthur, right?" Merlin asked.

The Dragon pondered for a moment. "I'm sorry to say it doesn't. This very special gem belongs to another hero."

Eilwen's face fell. "But who? I'm certain that this stone belongs to Arthur; it has to."

The Dragon shook its head. "I'm sorry Eilwen, but it doesn't. I know you had your heart set on it."

"Then who does it belong to?" Merlin asked.

"Now, if I told you that it would take the fun out of it!" the Dragon replied as he started to flap his wings. "You two will find out for yourselves. Just give it time; all will be revealed." And with that, the Dragon flew off.

The young guard returned with a few of his comrades to break down the door. They positioned themselves in front of the doors; a large log in their hands.

"On three!" one of them called.

"One"

"Two"

"Three!"

The guards thrust the log into the doors; but the door didn't budge.

They tried again, and then a third time.

But on the fourth time, with one giant thrust, the doors caved in. The guards readied themselves to run into the banquet room and extinguish the flames; but the fire had reached unbelievable height and strength.

Flames poured out of the room and the guards ran for cover.

"I'm sorry, the Dragon always does that. You ask it one question and it leaves you with another." Merlin said defeated.

Eilwen shrugged it off. "That's what dragons do; I read about it in a book once. But it was still rather exciting! Actually meeting a dragon; it was amazing!"

Merlin smiled. He was happy that Eilwen didn't seem upset by what the Dragon had said about the sea stone and Arthur. But Merlin couldn't help but wonder; who was the stone destined to be with?

"I'm glad you're happy." Merlin said.

Eilwen smiled. "Thank you so much for cheering me up."

"So my plan worked then?"

"It definitely worked." Eilwen replied.

Merlin and Eilwen emerged from the conclave in the wall and into the hallway. The guards still hadn't returned.

"I've never taken anyone with me to see him before." Merlin commented. "You're the first."

"Than I'm greatly honored." She said.

"I'm so happy that I can finally share something like this with someone other than Gaius. Not that I'm saying I don't like sharing things with Gaius; it just get's tedious after a while."

"That's understandable." Eilwen replied. "Hiding things from people is rather _difficult_."

"You have no idea." Merlin sighed.

Eilwen smiled slightly. "Thanks again, for everything."

"It's no problem at all." Merlin replied.

The two of them stood awkwardly in the deserted hallway; not quite sure what to say next. Eilwen was tugging at the inside of Merlin's jacket that was still draped around her shoulders. She became aware that she still had it and quickly took it off.

"Oh here, your jacket." She said handing it out to Merlin.

"Oh yeah, right." He said taking it.

In the processes of taking back his jacket, Merlin accidentally touched Eilwen's hand. He kept his fingers there for a moment. Eilwen looked into his eyes; Merlin stared back. He noticed Eilwen's face start to turn from pale to pink and then to bright red. Merlin could feel his face doing the same. Eilwen pulled her hand out from underneath his.

"Sorry." They both muttered. The pair stood in the hallway awkwardly; one waiting for the other to say something. But their awkwardness was soon broken by the sound of thundering feet. Three castle guards came running like bats out of hell; startling Merlin and Eilwen.

"Out of the way!" one of them called.

"What's going on?" Merlin asked.

"Fire in the banquet hall!" another answered.

A cold shiver ran through Merlin's body. He looked at Eilwen and then they both ran after the guards.

The flames had reached a frightening height when Merlin and Eilwen arrived.

The guards were throwing sand and water into the fire; but it was to no avail.

Arthur stood in the hallway; Morgana at his side. He was shouting at one of the guards.

"Why isn't anything working?!" he screamed.

"We don't know, my lord." The guard answered. "We're trying everything."

"Well then try something else!" Arthur cried. Morgana placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

"They're doing their best, Arthur."

"They need to try harder. If this fire can't be controlled, the whole castle will be destroyed!"

Unbeknownst to Arthur, Merlin and Eilwen had heard everything he said. Merlin took Eilwen's arm and led her behind a corner.

"We have to do something." Merlin said.

"But what can we do?" Eilwen asked.

Merlin frowned. "I don't know."

Eilwen thought for a moment. "Maybe…?"

Merlin caught on to what she was thinking. "No, I can't. Not with all of these people here."

"Then we have to make a diversion or something," Eilwen said as she looked behind the corner at the rising flames. "And quickly."

Merlin concentrated. Nothing he could do would be enough for everyone to leave the fire. But maybe they didn't actually have to _leave_.

Merlin closed his eyes and concentrated. As he did, his lips moved almost by themselves as he whispered the incantation. Slowly, one by one, the guards started to throw the buckets of water with less force. Then they completely stopped all together. Even Arthur and Morgana were completely still. The now raging flames were frozen in time.

Eilwen clapped enthusiactly. "Now that is brilliant!"

But Merlin was all business. "Come on, there's no time to waste. I don't know how long this spell is going to last so we need to hurry."

Merlin and Eilwen carefully made their way to the still flames. Though the flames had stopped raging, the heat they gave off was very present.

Eilwen turned to Merlin. "Now what?"

"I don't know. I don't know any water spells." His face fell.

"But I do." Eilwen said smiling. "Here, you use the sand." She took a bucket of sand and handed it to Merlin.

Eilwen then retrieved a bucket full of water for herself. She looked back at Merlin.

"Watch and learn."

Eilwen waved her hand over the bucket. The water reacted to her touch and instantly rose; following the motion of her hand. Once the water was completely out of the bucket, Eilwen moved her hands in a side to side motion spreading out the water. As the water touched the flames, they instantly diminished. Merlin watched in awe.

"Come on then!" Eilwen called to Merlin. "Put the sand on the bottom portion of the flames."

Merlin jumped and did what he was told. He spread the sand on the floor where the flames were. As he did, the flames disappeared. Eilwen continued to manipulate the water over the flames. She used the water like a painter using a brush. She made small strokes; being sure to cover every flame. Merlin couldn't help but admire her talent. It was like it moved through her whole body; like a dance.

Merlin and Eilwen worked quickly to extinguish all the flames. When they were finished, the whole room was charred black but enacted. Merlin and Eilwen returned to their places hiding behind the corner. Merlin recited another incantation; as he did so time moved forward again. Guards who had had buckets of water threw them on now non-existing flames. They looked at each other with confusion.

Arthur ran to the now empty banquet hall.

"What? How?" he asked.

Morgana walked over to where he stood and smiled. "I guess your men did find a way to stop the flames."

Arthur just stood there dumbfounded. "I guess they did."

Merlin and Eilwen exchanged looks.

"I think we did enough here." Merlin said.

Eilwen smiled. "I believe you're right."

"There you two are!" Gaius exclaimed as Merlin and Eilwen entered Gaius' room. "Do you know that there is a-"

"Fire? We knew about it." Merlin replied unfazed.

"Knew?" Gaius asked. "Oh god what did you do?"

Merlin gave a smug smile. "We took care of it."

"Took care of it, eh? With magic I take it."

Merlin nodded enthusiastically

Gaius walked over to Merlin and smacked him on the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he asked.

"_That _was for using magic in public!" Gaius replied.

"Eilwen used water sorcery, why doesn't she get hit?"

"She's a guest. She didn't know any better." Gaius said. "But, I am proud of both of you. You two saved the castle; good work."

"It was mostly Eilwen." Merlin said. "She used that water sorcery of hers to put out the flames."

Eilwen blushed slightly. "Merlin was a great help too though. He stopped time so we could extinguish the fire. If it wasn't for him, who knows what would have happened."

"Well, in any case, you both saved Camelot. Now go get some rest; you two look like you need it." Gaius said.

"That was absolutely amazing!" Eilwen commented as she wrapped the covers around her shoulders. "I never knew you could do something like that."

"Sometimes I surprise even myself." Merlin said fluffing his pillow and adjusting his mattress on the floor. "But you; now that was impressive."

"It wasn't that impressive. What I did was a simple charm. I would give anything to do what you did." Eilwen said.

Merlin thought for a moment. "Eilwen, can I propose something to you?"

Eilwen sat up. "What do you have in mind?"

"This might be crazy, but what would you say if I taught you my magic and you taught me your water sorcery?"

There was a pause. "I don't know about that, Merlin."

"Why not?" Merlin asked.

"It's just…water sorcery isn't a thing you learn."

Merlin leaned on the side of Eilwen's cot and faced her. "Please, I'll try really hard."

Eilwen hesitated. "I don't know."

Merlin smirked. "I'll teach you to stop time."

Eilwen frowned. Merlin had found her weak spot. "Fine! But when things get complicated I don't want to hear any complaining!"

Merlin smiled and flopped back down on his cot. Things were sure going to be interesting…

To Be Continued


	2. Man in the Mirror

SPLASH!

"Not again! Merlin, you have to concentrate."

Merlin smacked his head on the bench. "Why can't I get this?"

Eilwen found a piece of cloth and began to wipe up the spilled water. "It's because you're not _feeling_ the water."

"Feeling? What's there to feel? It's wet, that's pretty much it."

"Ugh, sometimes I wonder." Eilwen muttered. "You have to let the water's power flow through you like blood flows through your veins. Now try again."

Merlin nodded. He returned his attention to the now refilled cup of water. He placed his right hand over the top of the cup; letting his palm brush the surface of the water. Merlin squeezed his eyes shut; concentrating with all of his being.

Nothing happened. Merlin let out a frustrated grown; throwing his hands up in the air. "I'll never get this, it's hopeless."

"No it's not." Eilwen replied taking his hand. "You just need some guidance."

She returned his right hand to the top of the cup; placing her right hand on top of his. Eilwen kneeled on the floor next to him; the left side of her body touching his back. Her hair brushing up against his cheek; the sweet aroma of amber on her skin: a new perfume that Arthur had given to her. The thought of Arthur getting cozy with Eilwen made Merlin's blood boil. He had only known her for about a week and now they were getting all chummy. Merlin couldn't stand it. What had Arthur done for her other then promise her a room in the castle? And even that hadn't happened yet. Merlin was the one who spent the most time with her. He was the one who kept her identity as a mermyd secret. And he was the only one who could teach her magic. That was one thing he had that Arthur didn't. The thought made him feel very proud of himself.

"There, look you got it!" Eilwen suddenly exclaimed. Merlin jumped a bit, opening his eyes.

Merlin's hand now held a small orb of water; t swirled around in a multitude of colors in the center of his palm. Eilwen had completely removed her hand from on top of his; this orb was created by his own energy.

But just as Merlin was feeling good about his new found ability, the little orb suddenly burst; turning into mist.

Merlin sat there for a few moments, not quite sure what to say.

Eilwen saw this as disappointment and she patted his shoulder. "Well, you almost had it. But, it is a start. Do you remember what you did?"

"I think I let my emotions get the best of me." Merlin replied.

"Good! That's the first step." Eilwen said. "So, what did it? A memory? An idea?"

"Oh, it was just a feeling; probably my natural magical abilities taking over."

Eilwen gave Merlin a look. "You're lying."

Merlin shook his head. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are." Eilwen replied. "You're a horrible liar."

Merlin stood; putting his jacket on. "I for one think that I'm getting better at lying."

"So you admit that you're lying." Eilwen said.

"I never said that." Merlin replied walking out of the small apartment door. "Now come on or we'll be late."

Eilwen followed Merlin. "You're still a terrible liar."

"Is it true that the king is returning to Camelot today?" Eilwen asked excitement in her tone.

"That's what I hear." Merlin replied.

Merlin and Eilwen made their way to the throne room. Camelot's many servants passed them on each side as they made preparations for Uther's arrival.

"Do you know where he went to?" Eilwen asked as she struggled to keep up with Merlin's pace.

"I'm not completely sure to be honest." Merlin said. "I think he went to a village or something that he had conquered; that's most likely the case."

Eilwen rushed to Merlin's side. "This is all so exciting!" she said watching the servants running around. "Does this always happen when the king returns? What is he like? Do you think he'll like me?"

"Yes, this always happens when the king returns from a journey. Uther is, well…Uther, and…" Merlin stopped walking to face Eilwen. "there's no possible way Uther won't like you."

Eilwen blushed, rolled her eyes and smiled.

The throne room was partially full when Merlin and Eilwen arrived. Arthur had taken his position standing in front of his seat on the right left side of Uther's throne. When he saw Eilwen enter he moved to greet her.

"Lady Eilwen." He said bowing and kissing her white gloved hand.

"Your highness." Eilwen returned.

Arthur glanced awkwardly at her hand. "Do you always have to wear these gloves?" he asked.

Eilwen began to answer but Merlin interrupted. "She must, sire. You see, Eilwen has a bad skin condition."

"Skin condition?" Arthur inquired.

"Oh yes it's very bad. Warts all over her fingers, nails are completely black; you get the idea."

Eilwen's mouth dropped opened as she glared at Merlin. He smirked at her.

Arthur tried to conceal his disgust. "Yes I see." He cleared his throat. "Well, it was nice talking to you."

Eilwen waited until Arthur was far enough away to punch Merlin in the arm.

"I bet you're happy with youself!" she scolded. "Why did you do that?"

Merlin rubbed his now sore arm. "I had to do something. What if he got too curious, huh? I think you owe me a thank you."

Eilwen scowled. "Sure, thank you for being a jealous ass!"

"Jealous?" Merlin asked astonished. "You think I'm jealous? Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh come on." Eilwen said rolling her eyes. "Don't think I can't see you get all upset when Arthur talks to me. You're jealous; admit it!"

"Now you're being ridiculous." Merlin replied. "I was just trying to protect you."

"Right." Eilwen said folding her arms and turning away from Merlin. "Just keep telling yourself that."

Merlin frowned. "I will." He said as he returned to rubbing his arm. "You hit hard when you're angry, you know that?"

Eilwen smirked. "I have three-hundred brothers, what do you expect?"

_Had that one coming _Merlin thought.

Morgana paced outside the throne room. As she walked, her dark blue flowing dress trailed behind her. Gwen came to her; a goblet of water in her hand.

"Your drink, my lady." She said handing the goblet to Morgana.

"Thank you Gwen." Morgana replied taking the goblet and quickly drinking its contents.

Gwen could sense her mistress' uneasiness. "My lady, is something troubling you?"

Morgana handed the goblet to Gwen. "Nothing's wrong; I'm just feeling a bit tired is all."

"Nightmares again?" Gwen whispered.

"Among other things." Morgana replied. "I just have a very uneasy feeling. Like something is off."

"I'm sure it's just nerves." Gwen reassured. "The king is returning after all."

Morgana shook her head. "That's not it. I never get like this when Uther returns from a journey. It's something else."

Gwen smiled weakly. "I'm sorry my lady, but it's time to take your place."

Morgana nodded in agreement. "If I must."

The throne room was quite a sight to see. Every respectable person of Camelot lined the sides of the great room. Merlin stood off to the right side; Eilwen and Gaius, who had arrived late, besides him. Arthur stood in front of his seat, as did Morgana. The royaltrumpets sounded and the room went still.

Uther, in his entire splendor, marched into the throne room accompanied by his guards and advisors. He approached his throne and addressed the court.

"I, King Uther Pendragon, have returned from the kingdom of Blackhartton. Our allegiance with them is now complete and I have granted them protection from their neighboring enemies."

The assembly clapped at Uther's announcement. He raised a hand to silence them.

"And to show their appreciation, the people of Blackhartton have bestowed Camelot with these gifts!"

At once, a line of servants made their way into the room. Each one carried a treasure of sorts. One servant carried a carved wooden chest, another a pair of decorated candle sticks, and another servant carried a box full of sweet smelling spices. The procession continued until Uther raised his hand.

"And now I present the last gift." After he said this; a small man servant processed into the room.

The servant struggled holding a large mirror. The mirror was circular; adorned with gold and large purple jewels. The mirror itself shown with an unearthly brightness.

Merlin's eyes widened. He had never seen something like this. It was such an impressive mirror; it almost seemed unreal.

Uther was more than pleased with the astonished faces in the court. He knew that this treasure was the best out of all of them; and the faces of his people only confirmed that.

Arthur seemed indifferent about the mirror, Eilwen gazed at the jewels, and Morgana's blood ran cold.

After all of the formalities were finished, it was Eilwen's turn.

Arthur stepped forward; beckoning Eilwen to join him. Eilwen carefully processed to Arthur's side; curtsying deeply before Uther.

"I would like to present lady Eilwen of the Blue Shell village."

Uther examined Eilwen. "Blue Shell village? I've never heard of such a place."

"It's a very small village, sire." Eilwen replied. "Not many people are aware of its existence."

"And what type of village is it?" Uther asked.

"It is a fishing village, my lord."

Uther considered this. "And why have you come here?"

"My mother and father have recently passed on and I was in need of a place to stay. Your physician Gaius is my adopted grandfather so I came to stay with him for a short time until I can find a place of permanent residence."

Uther listened intently to what Eilwen had said. "You may stay at Camelot for as long as needed, lady Eilwen. I will have a room prepared for you."

Eilwen smiled and curtsied. "Thank you, my lord."

Uther nodded in acknowledgement and dismissed the court. Arthur kissed Eilwen's hand and followed his father.

Merlin approached Eilwen. "That went well."

"It sure looks that way." Eilwen replied.

"At least he didn't ask where you've been sleeping." Merlin joked.

Eilwen made a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, don't want something like that happening again."

"Well done, Eilwen." Gaius said patting Eilwen on the shoulder. "You would think that you were royalty talking to Uther like that."

Eilwen's face twisted. "Oh really?"

Gaius beamed. "Of course; you have a very regal way of talking at times."

Eilwen suddenly looked uneasy. Merlin decided now was a good time to change the subject.

"It'll be weird sleeping in my own bed again." He said.

"Don't lie." Eilwen said her mood lightening. "I'm more than positive that you'll be happy to get rid of me."

"I wouldn't say that." Gaius added smirking. "Besides, you're always welcomed to visit Merlin and me whenever you want."

Eilwen smiled. "I greatly appreciate that."

Gaius' jovial mood darkened a bit. "Now, onto something more important: I never knew that the kingdom of Blackhartton had such an abundance of wealth."

"It does seem rather odd." Merlin commented.

"Why? Is Blackhartton not supposed to give gifts such as those?" Eilwen asked confused.

"Let's just say that Blackhartton isn't exactly like Camelot." Merlin replied.

Eilwen still looked confused; Gaius elaborated.

"What Merlin means to say is that Blackhartton isn't a well protected kingdom. Many of its kings died suspiciously when faced with crises. That is one major reason why it fell so easily when Camelot invaded not so long ago.

"Blackhartton was in such a state of poverty that they were more than willing to join alliance with Camelot. Uther has provided those people with food, livestock, and supplies. But I never knew they had treasures like that hidden away."

"But doesn't Blackhartton have a king of their own?" Eilwen asked.

"They did." Merlin replied. "Until he threw himself off a cliff three years ago."

Eilwen's eyes widened. "Oh."

"All of those gifts that Uther received most likely belonged to their former king." Gaius suspected. "I must say, I'm quite partial to that hand carved chest."

"I fancied that mirror. Did you see all those jewels?" Merlin said.

"I'm not sure about that mirror." Morgana said joining the conversation.

"Why not?" Merlin asked. "It's pretty impressive."

Morgana frowned. "I don't know. I just have an off feeling about that mirror; almost like it doesn't _belong_ here."

Merlin shook his head. "It completely belongs here; it fits Uther like a glove."

"And he does seem to have a fondness of it." Gaius added.

Eilwen didn't say anything; she just gazed at Morgana with a sympathetic look in her eyes.

Morgana didn't notice. She just stood there, looking off into the distance. Gwen suddenly appeared next to her.

"My lady?"

Morgana snapped to attention. "Gwen? Oh, sorry. I was, um, thinking about something. It was nice talking to you all." She bowed slightly and left.

"That wasn't awkward at all." Merlin commented.

Gaius shot him a look. "She was obviously troubled by something."

"But by what?" Eilwen said.

"Move it a little more to the left." Uther instructed.

Two man servants carried the heavy mirror a few inches to the left as Uther had instructed.

"Ah, perfect."

Arthur tilted his head. "That mirror is rather gaudy isn't it?"

"I quite like it." Uther replied admiring the mirror.

"You would." Arthur snickered.

Uther shot him a cold stare. "This was a precious treasure of their former king. I'm honored that they presented it to me; it shows their respect."

"Or it shows that they couldn't stand having something that ugly in their possession."

Uther ignored Arthur's sarcasm. "Those people have been though enough, Arthur. They've lost their king; it was the least I could do to provide them with the means necessary to survive. These gifts are a sign of their loyalty and thanks to Camelot. It'd be best not to mock them."

Arthur didn't respond. Uther took this as a sign that he had won the battle; a small smile crept across his lips. "Now, about this Eilwen girl."

"What about her?" Arthur asked.

"Is she truly Gaius' adopted granddaughter?"

"Yes. Gaius also attests to this."

Uther took a moment to consider. "I'll take his word for it. But if I find out that this girl is not who she says she is there will be repercussions: both for you and her."

Arthur's stomach lurched. "Of course, father."

"Whoa; now this is impressive."

Merlin gawked at Eilwen's new quarters. The room was rather large with a mirror and chest near the front wall. A large bed with sky blue blankets lay parallel to the mirror and chest. A large window that looked out over the neighboring forest made its home on the right wall. Eilwen's eyes widened as she took in her new surroundings. She ran to the bed; throwing herself on the feather mattress.

"Now this is what I call a bed!" she sighed.

Merlin followed her in; caring a few boxes of items that he found for Eilwen. "It looks like you're pleased with your new sleeping arrangements."

Eilwen sat up slowly. "I would say that I am."

Merlin made a small smile; placing the boxes on the floor. "Now, I found a few more dresses for you, some little trinkets, and Gaius packed some books."

Eilwen slowly went through the boxes. She removed one of the books; flipping through the pages slowly. "I can't even begin to thank you; both of you." She sighed. "Please give my warmest thanks to Gaius."

Merlin nodded. "Well, I'll leave you to unpack now."

Merlin headed towards the door.

"Merlin?"

"Yeah?" Merlin stopped; turning to face Eilwen.

Eilwen visibly struggled to say something. Her lips became thin and her eyes narrowed. "I never actually got to thank you for all that you've done."

Merlin gave her a slightly confused look. "I hardly did anything."

"But you did. You helped me in so many ways; if it weren't for that chance meeting in the marketplace who knows what might have happened to me."

Merlin blushed slightly at the memory of when he first encountered Eilwen and the infamous kiss. "Oh, well that was nothing. Just happy to help and all that."

Eilwen smiled awkwardly. Then she suddenly moved across the room with lightning fast speed; throwing her arms around Merlin's waist.

Merlin was taken aback for a moment; then he slowly placed his arms around her shoulders, placing his chin on top of her head. Then a thought struck him.

"You know, it's not like you're going anywhere. And you still have to help me with my water sorcery."

Eilwen slowly broke the embrace. "Oh yeah, that's right. And you still have to teach me how to stop time."

Merlin smirked. "One step at a time; but, your other abilities are coming along nicely Eilwen pouted. "I can barely move a beetle, Merlin. That's hardly progress."

"But it's a start." Merlin replied. "Don't rush perfection, Eilwen."

Eilwen rolled her eyes. "I guess I should go back to unpacking. I'll see you at dinner, Merlin."

Eilwen returned to going through the box filled to the brim with books.

Merlin stood in the doorway for a moment. "See you at dinner, Eilwen." And he left.

Uther gazed into his new precious treasure. The mirror was truly a work of pure craftsmanship. The gold plated leaves that surrounded the edges of the mirror almost looked like real ivy. The purple jewels that adorned each corner of the mirror shone with an unearthly brilliance. Even the mirror itself seemed to reflect the best aspects of Uther's face. He looked deeply into his reflected eyes; and as he stared his eyes seemed to turn colors. It was gradual at first, but then they suddenly changed completely. But it wasn't just his eyes that changed: it was his face as well. Uther slowly realized that he wasn't staring at his own face anymore; it was someone else's. It was a face riddled with age; the eyes were a deep gray, almost black. There was a stringy beard and hair to match. A sharp nose was the greatest accent to the face. Uther was filled with terror as he looked at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror; but he couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was almost like the alien face held Uther's gaze in a deadlock. Uther began to feel weak; like his energy was being drained out of him. His knees locked and he harshly kneeled on the floor; his face staying glued to the mirror.

"Father?"

At the sound of Arthur's voice, Uther snapped out of his hypnotic state.

Arthur stood in the doorway to his father's chamber; a look of pure horror and confusion on his face. "Father, are you alright?"

Uther carefully rose from the floor. "I'm fine, Arthur. I just…fell."

"Fell?" Arthur asked unconvinced.

Uther nodded slowly. "It must be my old age creeping up on me."

Arthur was still unconvinced with his father's assessment on the situation. "I will summon Gaius if …"

"No, Gaius' services are unneeded. What is it that you came to see me about?"

"It's time for supper." Arthur replied.

"I'll be there momentarily." Uther said.

Arthur nodded slowly and left.

Uther paused for a moment. "What was that?"

He took one last look at the mirror. He shook his head and exited the room.

But as he left, Uther thought he heard the deep, throaty laugh of a more than amused man.

"Turkey? Why does it always have to be a bird?"

Eilwen wrinkled her nose at the plate that sat before her. A nicely cooked piece of chicken mocked her; even the smell was overpowering.

She felt a sharp poke in her back.

"Just grin and bare it. If you keep asking for raw fish, people will get suspicious."

"I know that, Merlin; but how can I possibly stomach this? It's disgusting!"

"Would you rather starve?" Merlin whispered, standing behind her.

Eilwen frowned. She picked up a piece of chicken; nibbling on it gingerly.

"Look like you're enjoying it." Merlin ordered.

Eilwen made a cheesy forced smile as she swallowed the dreadful meat. "Bleh!"

Merlin chuckled. "It looks like you're not the only one who dislikes tonight's supper."

Eilwen looked at Merlin. He motioned for her to look in Uther's direction at the head of the table. Eilwen glimpsed at Uther; Merlin was right. Uther looked terrible; his face was completely drained of color, he was sweating up a storm, and he had hardly touched his food.

"Is he ill?" Eilwen inquired.

"Dunno. He sure looks it though." Merlin replied.

"Should we do something?" Eilwen asked.

"Better let nature take its course." Merlin said. "Maybe he caught something while he was in Blackhartton."

"Maybe." Eilwen said uneasily.

She glanced at Arthur, who was completely oblivious to her and Merlin's conversation. He was calmly finishing his last piece of chicken. Once he was done he looked at Uther.

"How was Blackhartton, father?" he asked nonchalantly.

Uther slowly turned his head at Arhtur's question. "It was…" he trailed off.

Merlin noticed Morgana watching Uther with unblinking eyes; a look of concern on her face.

"It was…?" Arthur said.

Uther struggled to focus. He shut his eyes tightly; but when he opened them Merlin swore that they had changed. It sent a shiver up his spine.

"It was fine before you conquered us!" Uther spat.

Arthur looked taken aback. "What?"

Uther shut his eyes again. When he opened them again they seemed to have returned to normal. He cleared his throat; "What were you saying, Arthur?"

"How was Blakhartton?" Arthur asked again cautiously.

"Oh, well, it was better than the last time I visited. Their crops have begun to grow again and…You dirty stealing bastards!"

The room went dead quiet. Uther looked from one face to the next; weariness taking its effect.  
"My goodness, it seems that I'm more tired than I thought. If you would all excuse me." He rose from his chair, walking slowly out of the banquet hall.

After Uther had left, the room erupted in gossip.

"What's wrong with him?" Gwen said. "He looked fine just a few moments ago."

"He's probably just tired." Merlin commented.

"But tiredness doesn't make you shout words like that." Eilwen said.

"Or change the color of your eyes." Morgana added.

"My lady?" Gwen inquired.

"Didn't you see them? His eyes; they were dark black." Morgana said quietly.

"I didn't notice anything." Arthur said.

"You wouldn't." Merlin commented under his breath.

"What was that?" Arthur asked turning around to face Merlin.

"Nothing, sire. I was just suggesting to Eilwen that she should retire to her quarters, seeing as dinner is finished and all."

Arthur looked at Eilwen for conformation. Her eyes widened in realization and she faked a yawn.

"Oh yes, I'm quite exhausted."

"Then I will escort you to your room, my lady." Arthur said rising from his seat.

"No, my lord, your faithful manservant will escort her." Merlin cut in. "His highness should check on the king to make sure everything is alright."

Arthur considered this. "Right, of course." He kissed Eilwen's hand. "Until tomorrow, my lady."

Eilwen flashed him her biggest smile. "Until tomorrow, my lord. I hope things are well with your father."

Arthur bowed as Merlin quickly led Eilwen out of the banquet hall.

"I thought we'd never get rid of him." He sighed.

Uther sat slumped in a chair in front of the mirror. Arthur appeared in the doorway.  
"Father?"

Uther looked up; waving him in.

Arthur carefully walked into his father's chamber and stood next to him.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Arthur asked after a few moments.

Uther rubbed his right temple. "I'm not sure to be honest."

Arthur put a hand on his shoulder. "You frightened everyone at dinner."

"Did I?" Uther asked. "I'm not completely sure what I did."

"You don't remember?"

Uther shook his head. "No."

"Do the words conquered and bastards ring any bells?"

Uther's eyes narrowed. "I said those things?"

"Indeed you did." Arthur replied.

Uther hung his head. "I don't know what came over me. I'm probably exhausted from the traveling."

Arthur patted his shoulder. "Get some sleep. If you feel unwell tomorrow, I'll send for Gaius."

Uther nodded in agreement. "Goodnight Arthur."

"Goodnight father." Arthur said taking one last look from the doorway.

"Well, at least one of us is advancing in our lessons." Eilwen said smugly.

"Come on this stuff is easy." Merlin replied as he watched Eilwen suspending an apple into midair. "Childs play."

"Oh really?" Eilwen said. "I've been teaching you tricks that even mermyd babies can perfect."

Merlin rolled his eyes as he leaned his head on a book that was placed on the table. "This completely unfair. Before you couldn't move a grape and now you're bloody moving everything!"

"I can't help it if I'm an intelligent being." Eilwen said simply.

"And what does that make me?" Merlin inquired.

"Someone who doesn't practice their water sorcery lessons; now go!"

"Fine." Merlin said lazily. "Killjoy."

"Oi." Eilwen said trying to hide a smile.

Merlin fiddled with an empty cup. "So, dinner was interesting wasn't it?"

"Don't stall, Merlin." Eilwen warned. "And yes, dinner was more than interesting tonight."

"I wonder why Uther lashed out like that."

"He was tired."

"I don't think that was it." Merlin said. "I've never seen anyone who's eyes turn black when their tired."

"That was rather odd." Eilwen commented.

"Do you think Uther's possessed?" Merlin proposed.

"Jumping to conclusions, aren't we?" Eilwen said laughing.

"I'm being serious; and it's not like things ever stay normal around here."

Eilwen sighed. "Can we at least wait until tomorrow to go demon hunting?"

The next day arrived, and Uther's condition only worsened. Gaius was summoned to his chambers for a diagnosis.

When Gaius arrived, he was shocked at what he saw. Uther's skin was completely white, his cheeks were sunken in, and he could hardly speak.

Arthur was by his father's bedside; a worried expression on his face.

"Do you know what ails him, Gaius?"

Gaius finished examining Uther; his face stoic. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen anything like this before."

"So you can't treat him?" Arthur asked anxiously.

"I can give him an herbal supplement that might help with his skin." Gaius replied. "I will try to find what is ailing him; but for the moment the supplement should suffice."  
Gaius was about to leave when Arthur stopped him.

"Is my father dying?" he asked gravely.

"I'm not sure." Gaius replied then left.

"He's gotten worse?" Merlin asked.

"It seems like it." Gaius replied as he readied the supplement. "He's as white as a ghost!"

"And you've never seen anything like it before?"

Gaius paused. "Nothing that ailed someone this quickly; it's almost like this was brought on by…"

"Magic?" Merlin asked.

Gaius gave him a grave look. "I'm afraid so. But don't go jumping to conclusions."

Merlin sighed. "Now you sound like Eilwen. I told her that Uther might be possessed."

"Possessed?" Gaius asked. "By what?"

"A demon, spirit, ghost; I don't know." Merlin replied.

Gaius considered what Merlin had said. "What do _you_ propose we do then?"

"Find out if he is falling ill by the use of magic." Merlin replied rushing towards Gaius' door.

"And if you're wrong?" Gaius inquired.

"Then I'll come up with another idea." Merlin said stubbornly.

"You know, I was kidding when I suggested demon hunting." Eilwen said as she followed Merlin down the corridor towards Uther's chambers.

"But I'm not." Merlin said. "I'm convinced that he's possessed by something."

"Are you sure about this?" Eilwen asked. "Is it really alright that we go snooping around in Uther's room?"

"No of course it's not alright that we're snooping around his room; but wouldn't you rather find out what's wrong with him before something bad happens?"

Eilwen was silent for a moment. "I guess."

They arrived at Uther's chamber; Merlin checked to see if the coast was clear. He motioned for Eilwen to follow him.

The two intruders crept into Uther's room. Merlin noticed the sleeping king tucked up in his bed. He turned to Eilwen; his finger on his lips.

Eilwen's eyes widened. "He's _in_ there?"

"Keep your voice down." Merlin cautioned.

Eilwen's lips pursed; but she obeyed.

Merlin surveyed the room. He crept over to some drawers and started to go through them. Eilwen moseyed around the room; keeping far away from the slumbering Uther. She looked behind some tapestries and behind a chest. Then something caught her eye: the mirror. Eilwen made her way to where it hung; being careful not to make a sound.

She gazed into the reflective surface; it was abnormally clear, like a newly washed window.

Merlin must have noticed Eilwen looking at the mirror because he threw a piece of cloth that he had found at her head.

"Stop gawking at yourself and help me!" he whispered harshly.

Eilwen gripped the cloth angrily. Suddenly she felt something; or someone. She got the feeling that she was being watched. Eilwen looked at the mirror again: nothing.

She moved her hand until it was being reflected in the mirror. Eilwen slowly lowered her fingers until they touched the smooth, cool surface of the reflective glass.

As soon as her skin touched the mirror; Uther sat straight up in his bed.

"Witch! Witch! Be gone fowl creature!" he screamed.

Merlin snapped his head to look at Eilwen. "What did you do?"

Eilwen's eyes widened. "I don't know!"

Uther seemed completely unfazed with Merlin's presence; he continued to shout and point at Eilwen.

"How dare you touch my belongings; you're no better than him! Be gone, be gone!"

Merlin had enough of this; if Uther kept shouting like this, all hell would break loose. He grabbed Eilwen's hand; running out of the room. Merlin shut the door and Uther's cries ceased.

He gave Eilwen a look. "What did you do? I told you to be careful."

"I didn't do anything!" Eilwen said. "I only touched the mirror!"

"So that mirror does have something to do with this."

Merlin and Eilwen looked away from each other and into the concerned face of Morgana.

She stood in the hallway; hands clasped in front of her. "I though I heard someone screaming."

Merlin gave Eilwen a sideways glance. "Yeah, sorry, that was Eilwen. She went into the wrong room and woke up Uther."

Morgana smiled slightly. "You're a terrible liar, Merlin. What were you really doing in Uther's room?"

"Snooping." Eilwen confessed lowering her eyes.

Morgan chuckled. "I thought as much. Did you find anything?"

Merlin shook his head. Eilwen fidgeted slightly. "I think it's the mirror."

Morgana's face fell. "I had a feeling."

Eilwen's face feel. "I had a feeling you had a feeling."

Morgana nodded. "I've had a bad feeling about the mirror since the moment I saw it."

"It's just a mirror." Merlin said.

"That's what I'm hoping." Morgana answered gravely.

"That is rather troubling." Gaius commented after he heard Merlin and Eilwen's story. He placed two mugs of hot herbal tea on the table. "And you're both certain that the king was not himself?"

"More than certain." Merlin replied. "Why would he suddenly start screaming that Eilwen is a witch?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Gaius replied taking a seat. "You didn't do anything that would make him suspect that, did you Eilwen?"

Eilwen looked up from her mug. "No, of course not; I know better."

"Well, did you do anything that might have woken him up?"

Eilwen thought for a moment. "I don't think so. The only thing I did was touch the mirror…"

"And so it all comes back to the mirror." Gaius said.

"It seems like it." Merlin commented.

"What's really strange is that even lady Morgana wasn't fond of the mirror. She said that it gave her a bad feeling." Eilwen added.

Gaius pondered. "Did you two feel anything when you saw the mirror?"

The room went silent.

"No, not a thing." Merlin said.

"Well, you didn't touch it." Gaius replied. "What about you, Eilwen? Did you feel anything when you touched it?"

Eilwen gripped the sides of her mug. "I don't know. It felt like a regular mirror to me. But…"

"Yes?" Gaius urged her to continue.

"When Uther started yelling at me, the whole atmosphere of the room changed."

"Changed how?"

Eilwen bit her lip. "It was like something was there; and it definitely didn't belong."

"But I didn't feel anything." Merlin said.

"You're an idiot, that's why." Gaius said.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Ok, fine then; does this mean that the mirror is the cause of all this?"

"It might." Gaius replied. "The only way to know for certain is if someone destroys that mirror."

"Then let's go." Merlin said. "We're wasting time."

"Hold on, we need to be careful about this." warned Gaius. "If Uther is indeed being controlled by the mirror who says that the mirror will release him if destroyed?"  
"Well we won't find out until we do something." returned Merlin.

"Gaius is right." Eilwen said. "If we destroy the mirror, we might hurt Uther."

Merlin hadn't thought about that. If he destroyed the mirror; he might injure, or even worse kill Uther in the process.

"Alright, what are our options?"

"Before we do anything, we need to make absolutely sure that the mirror is behind all of this." Gaius said.

"But how can we get into Uther's room? No doubt we'll disturb him again." Eilwen said.

"You can leave that to me." Gaius said taking a few bottles off of a shelf. "I think his highness deserves a good night's sleep, don't you?"

"And you're positive this will work?" Merlin asked as Gaius mixed the steaming concoction. "He won't wake up no matter what?"

"That's what I'm hoping." Gaius said as he aroused Uther from his sleep. "Now drink this, your majesty."

Uther's eyelids fluttered open. "What is that ghastly smell?" he groaned.

"Just a bit of medicine to help you sleep." Gaius replied helping the king raise his head. "Now dink up; that's it."

Uther's face pulled into gruesome mask as he gulped down the potion. When the drink was completely finished, Uther coughed a bit; laying his head back on the pillow.

"I don't feel tired, Gaius." He mumbled.

Gaius smiled. "You will."

Uther looked like he was about to say something but his eyelids suddenly drooped and his head sunk into the pillow. Soon after, a few deep snores filled the room.

"Looks like that worked." Merlin said smirking.

"I did what I had to do; now it's your turn." Gaius said gathering up his materials. "I wish both of you luck."

Eilwen, who had remained silent the whole time, nodded at Gaius. He left the room; making sure to tightly close the doors behind him.

"Alright, let's finish this." Merlin said rubbing his hands together.

Eilwen hesitated. Merlin sensed her distress. "What's wrong?"

"I dunno; something feels…off."

"Off? Come on Eilwen, now isn't the time for your little 'feelings'."

"Fine then!" Eilwen cried angrily. "Touch the mirror and then tell me you don't get an odd feeling about it!"

Merlin frowned. "Alright, I guess I'll just have to destroy this mirror myself."

Eilwen watched carefully as Merlin stretched his hand out in front of the mirror.

Merlin focused all of his energy and began to chant a spell.

Suddenly a brilliant flash of light was emitted from the mirror; knocking Merlin off balance and onto the floor.

Eilwen rushes to his side helping him up.

"What in the hell was that?" Merlin asked shaken.

"I told you that mirror was off." Eilwen said gripping his left arm. Merlin could feel her fingernails dig into his skin.

"Ouch! Eilwen what the…?" Merlin stopped talking when he saw what Eilwen was staring at.

Uther, who was supposedly fast asleep, was now out of his bed; standing right behind them. His skin shone with a brilliant silver color. His eyes were completely engulfed in blackness and his face was twisted in rage. Merlin and Eilwen backed up from the frightening sight.

Eilwen turned her head to look for a way out of this mess when she noticed something.

"Merlin!" she cried.

Merlin looked in her direction. She was now pointing at the mirror with a shaking arm.

Merlin turned his attention now to where Eilwen was pointing; his blood ran cold.

The once empty mirror now bore the face of a withered old man.

His hair and beard were the color of ashes and they seemed to float of their own free will. The man's face was sharp and well defined. And his eyes were a dark, deep gray color.

It glowered at Merlin and Eilwen who stood frozen.

"How dare you! How dare you!" it screamed. But it wasn't just the face in the mirror that spoke: Uther was talking in synch with it.

"What in the…?" Merlin started.

"Who is that?" Eilwen asked still clutching Merlin's arm.

Merlin stared at the man in the mirror. And then he realized who it was.

"King Corinth?" he whispered.

"Who?" Eilwen said.

"King Corinth of Blackhartton; the first king of Blackhartton, actually." Merlin replied.

"But he died ages ago..."

The face laughed. "Partly true. I died; but before my time."

"What do you mean by that?" Merlin inquired.

"I was murdered by my brother. He was jealous of my wealth and power. He pushed me off a cliff while we were hunting.

"But while I was falling, I swore that I would take my revenge on him and anyone who dare to take my kingdom away from me. My spirit took refuge in this mirror; my most beloved possession."

"And since then you've lead every single person who threatened your kingdom to their deaths." Merlin concluded.

Corinth laughed. "You're not as idiotic as you look."

Merlin had had enough of this. "Let Uther go; I'm warning you!"

Corinth's mood changed. "You don't have a say in what I do, young one. Though this foolish king I will return and rule both kingdoms!"

Merlin thought quickly; there had to be something that he could do to break the hold that Corinth had over Uther.

He nudged Eilwen who met his face with frightened eyes.

"I have an idea." He whispered.

"What is it?" she whispered back.

"Just follow my lead." He replied.

Merlin edged closer to the mirror. "Oh great king, I'm terribly sorry that I upset you earlier. I just want to say that I would be deeply honored to be made your first personal servant. I wish to serve you in any way possible."

Corinth gave Merlin a suspicious look. "Is this true?"

Merlin kneeled. "But of course, sire. Uther is weak; I know that you are strong. You will rule both Camelot and Blackhartton with an iron fist."

Corinth seemed to like this. He smirked wickedly at Merlin's words. "You are more than correct about that."

Merlin glanced at Eilwen. He motioned for her to back up to where Uther stood. She did as Merlin instructed and stood with her back to Uther.

"Oh great king, let me aid you." Merlin repeated.

"Rise, my loyal servant, and come forward." Corinth instructed. "You will play a role in my return. Do as you are told and you will share in my glory!"

Merlin walked towards the mirror. He lifted his head, smiling. "You know, I never really liked the evil dictator types."

Confusion crossed Corinth's face for a moment but faded as quickly as it had appeared.

"What…?"

"Eilwen, NOW!" Merlin cried.

Eilwen faced Uther and shoved him as hard as she could into the wall.

"Get them!" Corinth cried.

Uther stumbled as he tired to regain balance, but Eilwen beat him to it. She extracted a small glass bottle of pure blue liquid; throwing it into Uther's face.

Both Uther and Corinth cried in pain as they covered their eyes.

Merlin grabbed Eilwen by the arm; positioning her in front of the mirror. He moved to stand next to her.

Eilwen poured more of the blue liquid into her hand. As the liquid touched her palm, it formed a small ball.

"Ready?" Merlin asked.

"More than ready." Eilwen replied.

"One, two, three!" Merlin cried.

Eilwen threw the liquid ball at the mirror; soaking it. Merlin chanted a quick incantation, raising his hand parallel to the mirror. A large gust of wind shot from his opened palm directly hitting its target. Corinth realized what was happening and screamed out in agony.

"You can't do this to me! NO!"

And that was the last words that Corinth, former king of Blackhartton, ever spoke.

Merlin lowered his hand.

The mirror was completely covered in a thin layer of ice. Corinth's face, twisted in a mixture of anger and fear, stared back at him; unmoving.

"We did it!" Merlin laughed. He grabbed Eilwen around the waist and embraced her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck; hugging back with incredible force.

"You were brilliant!" she said. "I never would have thought of that! And who knew you could actually pull a lie off."

Merlin loosened the embrace so he could look Eilwen in the face. "But you; what was that liquid you splashed on Corinth?"

Eilwen smiled devilishly. "A little concoction I brewed up from one of the books Gaius gave me. A lovely little mixture of water and powerful herbs; did the trick though didn't it?"

Merlin laughed. "I would certainly say so."

The two of them, still in a loose hug, smiled at each other; enthralled with what had just happened. Merlin noticed Eilwen's face suddenly turn a light shade of pink. He let go of her waist and backed up.

"Guess we should get rid of that." He said motioning over at the frozen mirror.

"Oh, um, yeah I guess we should." Eilwen said fixing her hair.

"Would you like to do the honor?"

Eilwen smiled. "I think the mastermind should finish what he started."

Merlin smiled. He lifted the mirror off of the wall; holding it high above his head. With one wave of force, Merlin brought down the mirror onto the floor. The mirror smashed into thousands of shards; scattering in different directions.

The room suddenly felt lighter; like a dark cloud had dissipated. Eilwen and Merlin continued to smile at each other until they heard a small groan.

They snapped their heads to where Uther sat, slouched on the ground. He rubbed his head as he regained consciousness.

"Why am I on the floor?" he asked slowly.

Eilwen and Merlin rushed to Uther's side.

"Are you alright, sire?" Merlin asked.

Uther looked at him, still a bit groggy. "Why shouldn't I be alright?" he asked crossed.

Merlin gave a sigh of relief. But his sigh of relief gave way to panic. Both he and Eilwen had used magic in front of him. Even though he was possessed at the time, Uther still may have seen what they had done.

"Your highness, did you see anything, um, _odd_?" he asked carefuly.

Uther's eyes narrowed. "The only thing I see that's odd around here is my son's manservant not helping me off the floor!"

Merlin quickly helped Uther to his feet; relief returning. So Uther hadn't seen Merlin and Eilwen use magic; the secret was still safe.

Uther brushed some dust off his cloak. He noticed Eilwen standing awkwardly at his left side.

"I'm sorry that a guest had to see me in this condition." He apologized.

"It's quite alright, your highness. I'm just overjoyed that you're well." Eilwen replied.

"That's very kind of you, lady Eilwen." Uther said. "But I'm not completely sure what you're talking about. Was I ill?"

Merlin motioned for Eilwen to stay quiet. Eilwen nodded and smiled at Uther.

"You just look better than before, that's all."

Uther, still unsure about what Eilwen meant, gave her a small smile.

"If you would excuse me, I would appreciate a bit of privacy. I feel like I haven't been out of bed in days; or changed my clothes for that matter."

"Father!?"

Arthur frantically stormed into Uther's chamber. Uther met his son's panic with a stoic expression.

"What is it Arthur? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Arthur, wild eyed, examined his father from head to toe.

"B-but just the other day you were…"

"I was what?" Uther said. "I was feeling poorly; I know. Your manservant told me."

Arthur looked taken aback. "Who: Merlin?"

"Yes. He and Gaius' granddaughter were in my chamber. Merlin told me that I had passed out from exhaustion and that I was completely unconscious for about three days."

Arthur expression changed. "Is that so?"

Uther finished dressing and turned to leave. "Arthur, I'm more than happy that you're concerned about my well being, but can you please keep your servants and the like out of my chambers? I fear they might have done something with my mirror. Gaius told me that it fell off the wall but I know better."

"I'm sure Gaius is telling the truth. Merlin would never do something like that."

"Merlin might not, but the girl…"

"Eilwen would never do something like that!" Arthur insisted.

Uther stared his son right in the eyes. "No matter; I'm still going to keep watch over her."

As Uther strode out of the room, Arthur stood his ground.

"You're wrong about Eilwen. I know it."

"You broke the mirror?"

Merlin and Eilwen both nodded in answer to Morgana's question.

"Yeah, Eilwen is a bit clumsy; she tripped over her dress and smacked right into the mirror." Merlin lied.

"Right; that's ol' clumsy me." Eilwen agreed. "I can hardly believe that I don't end up getting bloody all the time!"

Merlin shot her a 'that's quite enough' look.

Morgana didn't seem to notice. Instead she threw her arms around Eilwen; squeezing her slightly.

"Thank you Eilwen. You have no idea how happy you've made me."

Eilwen struggled to speak through a mass of Morgana's dark hair. "Um, you're welcome?"

Morgana let go and smiled. "I will visit Uther to give him my regards. I'll see both of you later."

Morgana left Eilwen and Merlin alone in Gaius' apartment.

"Well, I'm glad she's happy." Merlin commented.

Eilwen sat down. "I'm just glad that this whole thing is over."

"I think everyone is." Merlin replied. "I'm exhausted."

"You're not the only one." Eilwen yawned.

Merlin drummed his fingers on the table. "So, sleep then?"

"Looks like it." Eilwen replied.

A few moments passed.

"So how did you…?" they said at the same time.

They both sighed.

"I have to know what was in that bottle." Merlin commented.

"And I have to know how you used that wind spell." Eilwen returned.

"Looks like sleep will have to wait." Merlin said smiling.

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
